Somerset Council confirms continued leisure provision in the east of the county

Following recent uncertainty, with the existing operator Fusion Lifestyle going into administration earlier in the year, the Council has appointed Freedom Leisure – an established national operator – to run services acting as an agent on behalf of Somerset Council, under a two-year interim contract. This marks an important step in providing stability and continuity for residents, centre users and staff.

The new arrangements commenced Wednesday 1 July, and will see services continue on a business-as-usual basis, with no immediate changes to memberships, pricing or day-to-day provision.

The focus in the short term is on maintaining safe, accessible and well-run facilities, making sure that communities can continue to benefit from gyms, swimming pools and leisure programmes without disruption.

Somerset Council and Freedom Leisure will work closely together to support staff, maintain operational standards and respond to local needs.

Freedom Leisure, which currently runs leisure services in the south (Yeovil, Wincanton and Chard) and north (Bridgwater) of the county, will be responsible for the following facilities:

• Frome Leisure Centre
• Strode Swimming and Fitness (Street)
• Shepton Mallet Lido
• Tor Sports and Leisure Centre (Glastonbury)
• Wells Leisure Centre

The Council would like to recognise the professionalism and resilience shown by teams across the centres in continuing to deliver services during the period of uncertainty.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Communities,  said:

We are very pleased to have secured continuity for these leisure centres which are so important for health and wellbeing. We recognise that this has been a difficult time for staff and customers, and we would like to thank everyone for their patience and dedication.

These arrangements provide stability and reassurance. Our priority is to ensure that residents can continue to access the leisure services they rely on, while we work in partnership to support the long-term future of these centres.

A spokesperson for Freedom Leisure said:

We are delighted to be working with Somerset Council to support leisure services in the east of the county.

Our immediate priority is to ensure a smooth transition and maintain services for customers. We will be visible on site, supporting staff and listening to feedback, while working with the Council to understand longer-term opportunities.

In future, Somerset Council and Freedom Leisure will focus on:

• Maintaining safe and reliable services
• Supporting staff and customers through the transition
• Addressing operational priorities and essential maintenance
• Gathering feedback from users and communities

Customers can continue to use their local centres as normal. Further information, including frequently asked questions, will be available via: https://www.freedom-leisure.co.uk/news/information-regarding-the-transfer-from-fusion-leisure/